3.4 speculation

[Theodric]

Fear most likely. They've likely been brainwashed into thinking the Eorzeans will just kill them should they surrender, even though thats not really the case.

That's not really 'brainwashing' so much as it's a legitimate concern. Even assuming that they did surrender there is very little guarantee that they would be treated well - and even if they were kept alive it would likely be indefinitely as prisoners. Plus if someone as supposedly 'pure' as the Warrior of Light can slaughter rank and file soldiers - even with the knowledge that many are just conscripts - and forcibly tear out their souls to empower their weaponry then it doesn't likely give much incentive for them to believe that the fate in store for them would be pleasant.

The nearest city to Castrum Meridianum is also Ul'dah. A place that has been, uh, 'culturally enriched' by many Ala Mhigan refugees. Many of whom have joined the Immortal Flames which, presumably, would boast a fair number of them. Given how irrational many Ala Mhigans have shown to be in the name of their homeland it's easy to assume that there's a genuine risk for atrocities to be committed where Garlean prisoners in their 'care' are concerned. If it's the Brass Blades that are in charge of prisoners, however, then not only is there a similar risk (I suspect it is also full of a good number of Ala Mhigans) but we've seen countless examples to show that the organisation is prone to corruption.

[Nalien]

Fear most likely. They've likely been brainwashed into thinking the Eorzeans will just kill them should they surrender, even though thats not really the case.

Dude... The most reason I ever needed to slaughter them was "Because an Animus book told me to", we're no saints... At least with the beast tribes we have the justification that they've definitely been brainwashed (and murder is already how we "fix" tempering), though it's slightly odd with the Sylphs, after Ramuh was all for Jolly Cooperation...

I actually wonder if they have been brainwashed though... There was a scene in 1.0 in which Garleans brainwashed children, no idea if that was carried over though... Most of the Garleans we've spoken to don't seem brainwashed though... They mostly just view us as savages, because Cid didn't care to share magitek air conditioning with us... A few actually seem like reasonable men, concerned about their families back home...

[Theodric]

-snip-

It's a common trope for 'adventurers' in fantasy settings to do anything and everything for a bit of coin or because someone tells them to do it, too. Heck, don't some of the Grand Company hunt bills sometimes include killing Garleans in exchange for seals? Arguably that sort of thing just turns casual slaughter into a sport. As for the actual brainwashing...you're correct in that it is apparently something shown explicitly in 1.0 but - to my knowledge - it isn't shown in 2.0. It is very much like Gridania - the place was a lot more 'horrible' back then but now it's fairly 'light' on the darker elements. 1.0 was in some ways darker overall though - which is something I find myself missing.

At any rate it's worth noting that they were specifically loyal to Gaius and may be stubbornly fighting on his name. He was quite the inspirational figure, it seems, since Livia was especially devoted to him and there's a lot of players who genuinely wanted to side with him back when he made an offer to the Warrior of Light back in The Praetorium. Gaius also had a long string of victories under his belt and, presumably, inspired many of his men to the point where they wouldn't need to be brainwashed.

[PArcher]

SNIP

Well, the problem with using Hunts and Relic as justification is its not MSQ cannon...technically, we don't do that stuff.

If you go through the Tales of the Calamity, I'm 99% sure that Kan-E took a former Garlean soldier as one of her personal guard (think its the same guy who follows her in Heavensward too), so there is precedent that the Alliance is willing to allow Garlean soldiers to work their way into their society.

As far as the brainwashing...more that they're told Eorzeans are nothing but savages who *need* the Garleans to look over them like children, and until they're conquered and forced to submit they'll keep throwing this "tantrum" of resistance.

[ChazNatlo]

It's a common trope for 'adventurers' in fantasy settings to do anything and everything for a bit of coin or because someone tells them to do it, too. Heck, don't some of the Grand Company hunt bills sometimes include killing Garleans in exchange for seals? Arguably that sort of thing just turns casual slaughter into a sport.

Technically, I think the Grand Company Hunts are supposed to be threat Elimination (I imagine it as Culling when applied to lesser non-hostile creatures. They're over populating (Probably because you just killed their predators last week)), for which you are rewarded, rather than sport. Amusingly, this would suggest that the Grand Companies ((The Flames in particular)) still see the Garleans as a threat for some reason.

[Ametrine]

The nearest city to Castrum Meridianum is also Ul'dah. A place that has been, uh, 'culturally enriched' by many Ala Mhigan refugees. Many of whom have joined the Immortal Flames which, presumably, would boast a fair number of them. Given how irrational many Ala Mhigans have shown to be in the name of their homeland it's easy to assume that there's a genuine risk for atrocities to be committed where Garlean prisoners in their 'care' are concerned.

I really like this train of thought. We know quite a few soldiers are Ala Mihgan, so I can also see Blades and Flames with Ala Mhigan connections letting PoWs out.

But Ul'dah's gotten so much more action than the other cities pre- and post-HW that I wonder if the developers would continue adding so many plot threads there. Plus, the Eorzean Alliance are probably smart enough to know putting Garlean PoWs around Ul'dah's military is just asking for trouble.

Also, I see you got a new avatar, too! Nice!

[Cilia]

Here's the thing, though: while morality is certainly grey, in this war (cold or otherwise) with Garlemald we're the defenders. Garlemald is always the aggressor. If the Garleans laid down their arms and surrendered, there is a high probability Eorzeans (except maybe some Ala Mhigan refugees, understandably) would be willing to let them go home or integrate into Eorzean society. As long as they aren't causing trouble we have no reason to fight Garlemald... it's when they go on the offense that we have to do something. Fighting back in self-defense isn't wrong.

... and yes, us slaughtering Garleans for the purpose of powering up Zodiac Weapons is totes uncool. How canon us doing so is up for debate, though, and the Eorzean city-states do nothing about them.

[Rocl]

Nitpickery, the brainwashing from Futures Perfect, if I recall rightly, only dealt with killing beastmen and their gods--not the general population of Eorzea.

[Belhi]

After the battle of carteneau Kann-e Senna spent a week healing both Eorzean and Garlean survivors and order all Garlean troops be treated well and allowed to return to Garlean held lands. What we do have on the Eorzean Alliance doesn't indicate that they are in the habit of slaughtering enemies that have surrendered.

As for Castrum Meridium, it wasn't the Eorzean Alliance that blew it up. That was the Garlean's own superweapon. Its also not the first time that losing control of unknown tech has caused a Garlean instillation to be destroyed, killing everyone inside. That's how Cid's dad died.

[VargasVermillion]

Here's the thing, though: while morality is certainly grey, in this war (cold or otherwise) with Garlemald we're the defenders. Garlemald is always the aggressor. If the Garleans laid down their arms and surrendered, there is a high probability Eorzeans (except maybe some Ala Mhigan refugees, understandably) would be willing to let them go home or integrate into Eorzean society. As long as they aren't causing trouble we have no reason to fight Garlemald... it's when they go on the offense that we have to do something. Fighting back in self-defense isn't wrong.

surrendering isn't what would happen with garlemald, they have no reason to surrender because they have more land and resources, they stop when they can't be bothered trying to take eorzea or until eorzea or someone else goes on the offense against garlemald and succeeds.